My wife and I disagree as to whether the tattoos worn by Pauley Perrette, as Abby on NCIS, are real or not. Can you tell us?—Jeff & Stormy Calentine, Sheridan, Wyo.

We went straight to the source. "All of my tattoos are real and mean something," says Perrette, 42, a native of New Orleans, "except for Abby's big, giant-spider tattoo on her neck and the giant cross on her back that we have only seen twice." As for how many tattoos Perrette actually has, she adds, "I have no idea. I lost count."